This paper discusses why and how Indians from the Punjab state of India have come to dominate the dairy industry in Northern Italy. Through interviews with Italian employers, we learn how Indians came to replace native Italians in this sector, emerging as the preferred group among dairy owners against other groups of immigrants. Interviews with Indian dairy workers and their families shed light on the daily working conditions in this industry, how Indians view their work, and the impact that their work has on their wives and children. The final two sections are devoted to local views of the Indian presence in the dairy industry, with both union and Italian press perspectives offered. The paper concludes by arguing that this quiet immigrant success story is an example of a ´win-win´ employment situation for both the Italian economy and Indian migrants.

Description:

CARIM-India is co-financed by the European University Institute and the European Union.